Airship.



Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

3 SHBETB-SHEBT 1.

I. ALLEN.

AIRSHIP. APPLIGATION FILED MAY 6, 1909.

I.l ALLEN.

AIRSHIP. APPLIGATION FILED MAY e, 1909.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. ALLEN.

AIRSHIP. i APPLICATION, FILED MAY 6, 100D.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

a SHEETS-SHEET s. 6 4 60 UNTED STATES PATENT UFFCE IRAl ALLEN, DANSVILLE, NEW YORK.

Specification of letters `Patent.

Application filed May, 1909.

Patented Mar. 19, 19112. serial No. 494,236.

* nisin is mounted f or regulating the operating of. front and rear propellersand'lifting propellers carried by the side of said casing, said mechanism being connected with said propellers so that their angles may loe readily changed so as to facilitate steering in both forwardly and rearwardly movements, and also in ascending and descending. The

invention also contemplates the employment of novel balancing 'means which are controlled from the aviators compartment, and further, the invention coiiteinplates the'eni ployinent of a novel shape oit' bodyor casing which will ofl'er the least resistance to the atmosphere, and. which is so constructed that it will float upon water and be propelled therethrough.

In the practical appl ioation of the inveir tion it will, of course, be readily understood that the` essential. features of the saine are susceptible of changes inJ details and structural arrangements, one preferred and practical enibodinient of which is shown in the acconipanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side elta/'ation of the iinproved air ship, part of the central portion thereof being broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, also having a part broken away. F ig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3---3, Fig. l.. Fig. flis a similar View taken on the line fir-4, Fig. l, the car being omitted. Fig. 5 a detail sectional View of the clutch connection carried by the main shaft. Figi G' is a similar view showing the sleeve connection between the adjusting shafts of the lifting propellers. Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the pivotal hangers for the balancing weights.

Referring to said drawings by numerals l' designates the body or casing of the improved air ship which is of a .flattened ellipmeans of a coupling sleeve 20.

tical shape in cross-section to provide the tapering sides, and whose'ends 2 and i are of a tapering conical shape, thereby providing a structure in which no anglesappear such as would ofl'cr obstructions to the atmosphere. Said casing may be ot' light metal, such as aluminum, or strong textile fabric. The central portion of the casing is divided by means of transverse partitions t to .form a compartment for the aviator iii which the controlling mechanism for the ship is located. Each end portion of said body is provided withenlarged central gas chambers which are partitioned, as at (i, from smaller side chambers T. And all of sa'id'gas chambers are preferably provided with tlexible expansion bags 8 having inflating valves fl which project through the casing. A maini shaft 'l0 extends longitudinally through said casing the portion thereof within the aviator-"s compartment having splined thereto a clutch member 11 adapted for frictional engagement with a clutch member 1Q carried by a sleeve 13 loosely mounted on said shaft. Said clutch member l2 has itsperiphery vin the l'orm of a grooved pulley lll. which has a hell connection 1.3 with a grooved pulley lli mounted on a shaft 1T operated by a motor i8. A sectional shaft 1) extends transversely through said aviator-s compartment, the sections of said shaft being connected by The outer ends of Said. shaft sections priiject through the sides of the casing and through bracket journals 2l and have a yoke 2l mounted thereon the ends of which forni lfiearings for a shaft 22 one cnd of which projects to yone side of said yoke and has iiiounled thereon a lifting propeller 23. rlhe intermediate portion of said shaft 22 carries a grooved pulley 24 having a belt connection with a pulley Q11 on a shaft 25 journaled in a hori zontally arranged skeleton frame 26 projecting from the casing l. Said shaft 25 carries another grooved pulley 27. The sleeve 13 has its end opposite to the clutch member provided with two pulleys 2S- Q9 which have,a belt connection :B0-3l with the' pulleys 27 carried by the shaft 25 on each side of the casing 1. Each section of the shaft 19 is provided with a hand wheel 32 by means of which it may be rotated to alter the angle of the.axis of the lifting propel- 1ers 23, as will b; readily understood. The

los

clutch member l1 is forced to frictional engagement Withthe clutch member l2 by means of the lever 33 pivotally mounted in a bracket 34 -carried byl one of the partitions ofthe aviators compartment.

The outer ends of the main shaft l0 project through the ends of the 'casing and have a knuckle joint connection 35 Wit-h apropeller sha ft 36 Which projects through a bearing box 37 slidably mounted on a guide- Way 38 projecting from the ends lof said casing. Av propeller 39 is vertically mounted on said shaft 36. Steering ropes or cables 40-41 project from the' opposite ends of said bearing box, said ropes being disposed on opposite sides of the casing and passing over pulleys 42 provided with grooves which .are carried by the guidevvay and through guidingeyes 43 carried by the casing andl enter the aviators compartment, the steering ropes for one propeller being oppositely Wound upon a shaft 44 equipped With a 'handwheel 45, and the ropes from the other propeller being oppositely Wound upon another shaft 46 also equipped with a hand- Wheel 47. A

The bottom of the casing is/provid'ed With regularly spaced apart plates 48 from Which project hangers 49 the free ends of which are 1n engagement Withthe ends an inter= mediate portion of a balancing rod 50. Said balancing rod 50 is provided with two Weights 51-52 which are connected by means of the bar 53, the Weights being slidable. on said rod50. Each Weight` has a cable connect-ion'54 with a grooved pulley 55 carried.' by the end hangers, said cables after passing over their respective end pulleys, passing over av double pulley 56 and entering thelaviators' compartment and beng oppositely Wound upon a shaft 5.7

equipped with a handivheel 58.

The casingl is provided with side ribs 59 from whichy depend a plurality of hanger rods 60 the free ends of which are in" rigid engagement With .the ends of transversely'.

From the foregoing it Will be seen that when the shaft 10 is clutched to the sleeve 13 power Will be communicated to said shaft to revolve the end propel-1ers, the side propellers being continuously in rotation when the motor is in operation. And it Will also be seen that the handwheels for adjusting the lifting propellers; the handwheels for shifting the end propellers for steering the ship, and the handvvheels for shifting the vbalancing Weights, as Well as the lever for controlling theclutch of t-he main shaft, are all located Within the aviator-s compartment so as to be readily ope-rated by the person therein. l/Vhat I claim as my invention is In a flying machine, a body portion, a

sectional shaft extending through said body,

each section being independently rotatable a yoke at the outer end of each of the sections of said shaft, a propeller shaft carried by each of said`yokes, a skeleton frame surrounding each of said yokes, driven shafts carried by said frames, means connecting said driven shafts With said propeller shafts,

and driving means connected With said driven shafts. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of tvvo Witnesses.

IRA ALLEN. Witnesses J. J. BMLEY, y J. W. HARTEN.

Uopiesof this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D.' C. 

